Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Aha... it's 12:16am so it's officially Thanksgiving Day. That means I get to be amongst the first to wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have so much to be thankful for in our life this year. Here's my top 10 "thankful for" list for this year:
1. I'm thankful for heat. It's freaking freezing outside, which makes me thankful for my nice warm house, my nice warm van (thanks to the new thermostat Brian put in yesterday - in the freezing cold I might add), my nice warm bed and my nice warm snuggie. Yes, laugh if you want but my snuggie keeps me happy and warm while your toes are freezing. So there!

2. I'm thankful for friends. This last year or two I've finally put down enough roots in this town to make friends. I've always been a bit solitary but I've found a few great women (you know who you are!) that are at a similar place in their life, who like what I like and who are fun to hang out. I forgot what it's like not to always be "mom" and having friends has reminded me that there's still a little "me" in this body.

3. I'm thankful for books. Yes, books. Lots and lots of books. I love cuddling up in my snuggie and reading a good book and I'm thankful for the moments of adventure I imagine while reading them. I'm thankful for my book club, who remind me to stretch a little and read books I might not otherwise pick up.

4. I'm thankful for scrapbooking. Still. I started scrapbooking nearly 10 years ago (thanks again Bek!). I have found such a joy in both recording and rereading the memories that I've captured in my pages. And despite the economic downturn and closures of several big scrapbook magazines, I've been successful in continuing to be published this year. I have my 75th page coming up for publication this spring and I will diligently continue to scrapbook all the precious memories.

5. I'm thankful for my Grandma. I know it seems odd to mention her when in truth I'm thankful for so many members of my extended family- mom, dad, in-laws, sister, brother, sister-in-law, nephews. Although I don't visit her as often as I should, I'm particularly thankful for Grandma right now. Thankful that she always makes cookies when she knows we're coming to visit. Thankful that she's a great-grandparent for my kids, sending them cards and showing her support for them. Thankful that she's a role model for the kind of person I want to be, the kind of person who is caring and giving and resilient. Thankful for the strength and honor with which she lives her life.

6. I'm thankful for Carissa. The little imp that she is. I'm thankful for the cuddles and hugs she still love to share, the kisses she gives, the giggles and the pitter patter of her still little feet running up and down the hall. And yes, I'm thankful for the attitude she gives us, a reminder of her strong and willful soul.

7. I'm thankful for Tristan. This creature with so much character and life. I'm thankful for his easy laughter, for his questioning nature, for his love of writing and animals and the way he asks questions by saying "There's something I don't get...". I'm also thankful for the glimpses of the man that I am beginning to see in him.

8. I'm thankful for Chase. So strong and solid, helpful and forgiving. I'm thankful for the way he's constantly growing (I think he's almost outgrown his new school pants!) and the huge appetite that he's beginning to have. I'm thankful for his love of learning and his yearning to know more. I'm thankful for the hints of mischief that remind me that he's still a little boy inside that young mans body.

9. I'm thankful for Brian. My rock. The person I still turn to each and every day to share my stories, my worries, my problems. The one I can trust to protect me and care for me, the one I protect and care for in return. I'm thankful for the 17 years we've been together, for the laughter we share, for the private jokes only he and I understand, for the joy that his love has brought into my life. For without him, none of this life would have been possible. And for that I am eternally thankful.

10. I'm thankful for the struggles. For the tough times that remind me of all I have to be thankful for. Because despite our minor worries, despite the hardships we sometimes encounter and the hills we have to climb, we have been blessed with so many things. We have each other, and the struggles remind me that having one another is what life is all about. The people we love are the legacy we leave behind in this life and I am so thankful for those people and how they fill my life with happiness.

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween has come and gone and with it we've ushered in a whole new era of celebration here. To start off with, neither of the boys really got into it. They're sort of graduated from costumes and just took things from previous costumes or from their rooms and just made costumes out of them.

Chase started out as a cow, went to a unicorn, then a zookeeper and finally ended up as some sort of skull something or other. I never did figure out exactly what he was.

Tristan put on costumes from previous years. He started out as a vampire ninja ghost but dumped the ghost and ended up going as a vampire ninja with chains around his wrists. Again, not sure where that all came from.

Carissa was the only one we purchased a costume for. She was Cleopatra this year, beautiful in her gown and crown.

The kids really went solo on their pumpkins this year too. They drew and cut on their own with little or no help from us. Brian helped Carissa a bit with all the intricate parts of her design but the rest was all them. They even scooped them out on their own. YEAH!

The kids went trick-or-treating on their own this year. They didn't even ask us to come along and we let them have the latitude to go on their own. They did great and came home with tons of candy. It was such a beautiful evening and perfect for going out. They had fun. I felt left out. So it is that we're left behind as the kids grow and change. *sigh*
On a similar side note to Halloween, we visited the town right next to ours, St. Helens. Years ago they were the site of the Disney movie "Halloweentown". They're attempting to revive the town a little and capitalize on the Halloweentown theme. They recreated a view from the movie in the park where it was filmed. We took the kids there and took their photos. It was beautiful. Though the kids went cheeseball for a few minutes.

We watched a movie in the historic theater nearby (also a set used in the movie) and came back later for more photos, this time with the pumpkin lit and the kids a little more cooperative. ;)